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"The distance runner is mysteriously reconciling the separations of body and mind, of pain and pleasure, of the conscious and the unconscious. (S)he is repairing the rent, and healing the wound in his(her) divided self. (S)he has found a way to make the ordinary extraordinary; the commonplace unique; the everyday eternal."

-Dr. George Sheehan

My sore left foot, which I had been blocking from awareness, finally earned itself a little more time out, which I took yesterday, and slept in, before going in to work to go over all my charts in preparation for an upcoming audit. I know how compulsive I am about running, because anytime I take a day off it feels wrong. But today, I had my clothes laid out, and was out the door on schedule, heading up the overpass and looping west to lay out some pretty good miles before stopping at Anderson park and a water break.

I can always pin point one mile somewhere in the middle of a run that holds the magic, the easy, fluid, light as air sensation of everything flowing well, in a rhythm that goes beyond conscious control and seems to emanate from a deep inner level of energy/'chi'. Then the minute I become aware of it I begin to separate from it as I marvel and admire and speculate on it's existence....then the following miles are effort and will, pumping and reaching for form. It's hilarious really how much we get in our own ways. How we strive and reach for excellence, yet when we have it, we find it landing on us like butterflies.

I had a good kick at the end, and felt relatively strong. I think the time off did me good, I was certainly less sore. I know every month will bring me a race goal now, starting in October, and I want to be ready to reach these benchmarks this year. At the same time, I am reaching for those moments when it all goes beyond me to another place where nothing matters except the effortlessness of motion, where I can escape, if even for a little while my own 'mortal coil'.

Ike is pummeling Cuba instead of us...and heading to the Gulf where it will put someone else in it's sites...but we certainly dodged the bullet this time. Meanwhile, the polls are showing the McCain propaganda machine hard at work, pulling ahead of the Dems in their ability to convey the message of 'command and control'. People, you have the power for change. It is upon us every day to choose who we empower and why.
Don't give it away to the Suits, the Impostors, the rogues. Remember the roots of power are born from the call of the times and tap unlikely carriers who speak the language of unity. Resistance is all around. Stand up to it, and stand firm for what you believe. Stay the course, because either way we all need to be strong and endure what's to come.